WisPolitics.com: New federal numbers showed an improvement in the state’s job growth ranking, but were decried by Democrats as another example of Gov. Scott Walker’s failure on the jobs front.That last is what’s been bothering me. The current proposed budget — which legislative Republicans are certain to pass — is idiotic. If you had no idea what Wisconsin’s economy was like and you looked at this thing, you’d assume that Wisconsin was just rolling in the dough. It’s just another example of how Republicans always seem to believe that if something’s not working, you need to do more of it. Earlier, Walker blamed the recall for driving the economy down. “I think the big thing that people are waiting for is to have the certainty of knowing that this sort of positive outlook for job creators is going to continue," Walker said at the time. “That’s why I think that after June 5th, after these primaries are done, and when I and the lieutenant governor and these senators prevail, I think it means there will be a clear message to the job creators and the small businesses in the state that now is the time to add jobs."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Wisconsin gained 62,082 private sector jobs from December 2010 through 2012, and gained 32,282 of those jobs from December 2011 through 2012.
Wisconsin ranked 33rd in private sector job growth over the 2011-12 time period and 34th in job growth over the 2010-2012 period that covers Walker’s first two years in office. Wisconsin’s 1.4 percent private sector job growth rate over the last year still lags behind the national average of 2.3 percent, but improves on the state’s third quarter ranking of 44th out of the 50 states.
Dems seized on the overall jobs ranking — combining both public sector and private sector job growth — in those first two years to argue Walker’s policies have failed.
“The fact remains that under Gov. Walker, Wisconsin ranks 38th in the country in job growth — dead last in the Midwest,” said Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha. “And despite clear evidence that the Republican plan hasn’t worked well economically for Wisconsin, Gov. Walker’s budget doubles down on bad economic policy.“
OK, so where are these “job creators"? Why is Wisconsin trapped in a contractionary period when the rest of the country is in recovery, despite the fact that the recalls are long over?
Hey, maybe tax cuts for the rich, corporate welfare, and undermining consumer demand by attacking the lower and middle classes isn’t such a genius move after all. In two years, we’ll be just as bad off — if not worse. Republicans run the legislature and the governor’s mansion. Walker has no one else to blame. He owns this shithole of an economy he created, whether he wants to or not.
This man will never be president, even though every bone in his body aches for it. His breathtaking incompetence will see to that.
[photo by Gage Skidmore]
